31 Greatest NCAAF Players in PNW history: No.16 - Jack Thompson

31 Greatest NCAAF Players in PNW history: No.16 - Jack Thompson

“The Throwin’ Samoan” Jack Thompson was the most prolific passer in the history of college football when left Pullman in 1978, and 40-years later his legend lives on.

Thompson was not only the leader of the huddle, he was the leader of a culture. Thompson helped usher in the movement of great Polynesian talent coming over to play college football.

He left WSU with 7,818 passing yards and 53 touchdowns, was a three-time All-Conference selection, a three-time All-American (Honorable Mention, Second-Team, and First-Team), and had his name etched all over the WSU record books.

Thompson was drafted third overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1979 NFL Draft and played six seasons in the league before calling it a career.

Thompson is one of only two Washington State football players to have their jersey retired (Mel Hein being the other), and in 2014 he was part of the inaugural class of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame.

The Bridge Podcast: Eugene native and former WSU QB Alex Brink

The Bridge Podcast: Eugene native and former WSU QB Alex Brink

Host Justin Myers sits down with former Washington State Cougars quarterback Alex Brink. Brink recounts his college career in Pullman and what it was like playing in the Pac-12 as a starting quarterback.

Also, Brink talks about his transition into broadcasting for the Cougars and life post-football.

You can listen to the podcast below!

Are Ducks more potent, Beavers better, Viks tired of Missions Almost Impossible?

Are Ducks more potent, Beavers better, Viks tired of Missions Almost Impossible?

Opening weekend, finally, for our area’s college football teams and I’m happy about that – primarily because stories from “fall camp” (even when it’s nowhere close to fall) are usually just a combination of hopeful hype and injury reports with little real news. I know, because I used to write those stories. Anyway, just a few random thoughts about the Ducks, Beavers and Vikings leading into Week 1:

Yes, I know bowl games are different than regular season games and not necessarily an indication of what’s to come for a team in the following season. But when I think about the Ducks and the upcoming year, it’s pretty hard for me to get the Redbox Bowl out of my mind. And I also understand that if you’re an Oregon football fan, you probably flushed that game out of your memory bank the day after that debacle. Certainly, pollsters don’t remember it, or I don’t think they’d be voting the Ducks as high as 11th in the AP preseason poll. But seriously, UO rushed for 37 yards on 27 carries and had only 11 first downs. Oregon won 7-6 against Michigan State. I saw that game as a summary of the season on offense for the Ducks. They underachieved with the ball, especially considering they had a quarterback who was touted as a Heisman candidate at the start of the season. I would hope they would make better use of Justin Herbert this year.

Oregon State has a long way to go from where it was last season just to become a respectable college football team. I am optimistic that Jonathan Smith can engineer a turnaround, but I don’t expect it to happen overnight. Can the Beavers upset Oklahoma State Friday night? I doubt it, but I also think they have their best chance to win early in the season, before the inevitable injuries start to pile up. Depth is going to be a problem, as it always is, for schools trying to make the climb from the bottom to even the middle of Power-5 conferences. It’s hard for them to recruit enough quality starters, let alone bench players, at this point of their development.

The prime funding mechanism for some FCS football programs has become sending their teams on Missions Almost Impossible to FBS schools, scooping up six-figure guarantees in exchange for playing the role of patsy for those higher-level teams. Meet Portland State football. The Vikings this year open their season at Arkansas and then also play on the road at Boise State. For Viking players, the only good thing about a game at Arkansas is they don’t have to undergo a long bus ride. I assume they will fly, as opposed to those long motor coach rides to other away games during the season. I realize that a few years ago PSU traveled to Pullman and upset Washington State. Stuff happens. But for me, there is something unseemly about a system that requires players to take a beating from more powerful schools, just for a paycheck they don’t get to share. But good luck, Vikings, stay healthy and remember, the Razorbacks went 2-10 last season, including a home loss to North Texas.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Deante. He represented everything it means to be a Viking in his hometown of Portland. He will forever be remembered for his character, determination and warm smile. Our prayers go out to his family and friends."

Strickland was a local, a graduate of Central Catholic High School and was studying Social Science at PSU.

Gonzaga draftees make history in more ways than one

Gonzaga draftees make history in more ways than one

Basketball fans around the country may still not know that Gonzaga University is nestled away in Spokane, Washington. And, they may not know how to properly pronounce Gonzaga or Spokane, but NCAA and NBA fans do know that the Zags have produced some NBA level talent and have been a force to be reckoned with come March.

Twenty-four Gonzaga players have now been drafted to play at the next level and eight of those NBA draftees have come in the last 10 years.

Gonzaga Forward Rui Hachimura made history this year.

Hachimura became the first Japanese player ever selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, when he was picked No. 9 overall to the Washington Wizards.

The son of a Japanese mother and a father from the West African nation of Benin, Hachimura's athleticism did not go unnoticed in his three years as a bulldog. The 21-year-old averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists his junior year.

The last time a West Coast Conference team had a pair of first-round picks was back in 1978 when the San Francisco Dons’ James Hardy was selected 11th and Winford Boynes was taken at No. 13.

As for Gonzaga, the program has produced seven first-rounders overall.

GU has had two players selected in the same draft twice. The most recent draft was in 2017 with Trail Blazers lottery pick Zach Collins and second-rounder Nigel Williams-Goss.

Gonzaga’s Zach Norvell Jr. and Josh Perkins went undrafted this year. However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Norvell will reportedly sign a 10-day contract with the Charlotte Hornets. While Perkins has reportedly agreed to a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN.

The Portland sports community lost an all-time great this week, with the death of Roy Love.

Love, 82, passed away Monday at his home in Tigard and had dedicated a good part of his life to athletics at Portland State University.

He has been a mentor and a friend of mine throughout much of my life.

A Cleveland High School graduate, Love was a pitcher on Portland State’s baseball team from 1955-59 and then its head baseball coach from 1962-74. During that time, he spent five seasons as an assistant football coach and was also a golf coach at the university. He became the athletic director at PSU from 1975-86 and then after a short retirement, returned to the same position from 1988-93.

First and foremost, though, he was a baseball coach. He compiled a 257-215 record over 13 seasons and had eight teams in postseason play. His 1967 team won the pacific coast NCAA College Division championship – a division that no longer exists and one that did not have playoffs that extended beyond the regional level. His 1962 team finished second in the nation at the NAIA level.

He was old school, a fiery leader who didn’t hold anything back with his players or the men charged with umpiring his games. He was the kind of coach who pushed hard and often his players didn’t realize how impactful he was on their lives until later – when they looked back and realized how much he cared about them and what his discipline taught them.

He was also the long-time co-director of the popular Metro Baseball Camp at Alpenrose Dairy, where he worked with thousands of the area's Little League players.

During his tenure as AD, PSU teams won four national championships in volleyball and two in wrestling, five league championships in football and many others in baseball and women’s basketball.

Portland State moved up from NAIA through NCAA college division, Division II and Division 1-AA. He was inducted into the Portland State Hall of Fame and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.

He was also known for his ability to find and lure high-quality coaches to PSU, which didn’t exactly have a lot of money to pay its coaches. His coaching hires included Mouse Davis, Don Read, Pokey Allen, Jack Dunn, Jeff Mozzochi, Teri Mariani, Marlin Grahn and Greg Bruce.

And on a personal level, I would add that he once hired me to be his junior varsity baseball coach – putting his faith in a young guy who would be coaching players older than he was. I’m not sure I would have finished college without that job.

Roy was a personal mentor and a role model, a man who often advised his players with just two words to guide them on and off the field – “Do right,” he would say.

And Roy Love himself always did that. He was a great coach, a great leader and a great man.

A celebration of life will take place in mid-July, with details announced later.

What They’re Saying: The Ducks are the team to watch in the NCAA Women's Final Four

What They’re Saying: The Ducks are the team to watch in the NCAA Women's Final Four

All eyes are on the Oregon women’s basketball team in the NCAA Tournament.

Behind Sabrina Ionescu and a star-studded cast of Ducks including Satou Sabally and Ruthy Hebard, Oregon will make its first Final Four appearance in program history on Friday. The Ducks are the only team to never make it to the round of four before.

Notre Dame, the defending national champs, will be returning to the Final Four again this season, after knocking off UConn in the national semifinals in 2018. UConn is competing in the Final Four for the 12th consecutive season and looking for its 12th national championship. Baylor is returning to the Final Four for the first time since winning a national championship in 2012.

Ahead of the Ducks meeting with perennial powerhouse Baylor, let’s take a look at What They’re Saying about Oregon's first appearance in the Final Four.

It’s nearly impossible to talk about Oregon without talking about it Sabrina Ionescu, the Ducks star guard and the NCAA triple-double record holder. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and Warriors champion Stephen Curry both praised Ionescu, who has dominated the pick and roll throughout the tournament thus far.

Baylor coach Kim Mulkey had more to say about the WBCA Player of the Year in Thursday’s press conference:

“What a talent. What a joy to watch. If you’re not having to play against her…The thing that I love more than her talent is I love the way she competes. She’s got that umph in her. She makes everybody around her better.”

An ESPN panel, including LaChina Robinson and Mechelle Voepel, cast their predictions on how the Ducks will fare in the NCAA Tournament. Only one member on the panel, ESPN's Graham Hays picked Oregon to advance to the national championship title game. No panel members chose the Ducks as a national championship winner.

Who will win Friday? Baylor and Notre Dame are heavy favorites in the Final Four. Our panel is split on which team will win the NCAA title on Sunday.https://t.co/TAQhhFFdQH

Tip off for the Final Four game between Oregon and Baylor is set for 4:00 p.m. PT.

Make sure to follow NBCS Northwest for complete coverage of the Final Four from our staff, as well as behind-the-scenes updates from Eddy Ionescu, Sabrina Ionescu's twin brother, on Twitter and Instagram.

Pac-12 at risk of becoming one-bid league after Thursday

Pac-12 at risk of becoming one-bid league after Thursday

The No. 25 Washington Huskies men’s basketball team entered Thursday’s matchup against California with a celebration planned and an agenda to get the attention of the basketball world.

But instead, it was the Cal Golden Bears who made headlines. The Pac-12’s last-place team, who entered the game 0-15 in conference play, took down the Huskies in convincing fashion.

Nearly nine hours north in Corvallis, the Oregon State Beavers, who held third place in the Pac-12 heading into the night’s matchup with Arizona, were stunned as Wildcats guard Devonaire Doutrive laid in an offensive rebound at the buzzer to send shockwaves through Gil Coliseum.

And in Eugene? That’s right…another upset. The Arizona State Sun Devils, who sat second in the Pac-12 standings, had one of their most uninspiring games of the season, as they were blown out by Oregon Ducks, who held the conference’s top-scoring team to 28 points below its season average.

Twitter had a field day roasting the Pac-12 after last night’s finishes:

When it comes to unintentional comedy, there is no better league in the country than the Pac 12

While Washington still managed to clinch the Pac-12 title as Arizona State and Oregon State both lost, none of this bodes well for the “Conference of Champions.” The Pac-12, who was expected to have two teams in the March Madness field heading into Thursday, could end up being a one-bid league after last night.

As of Friday, according to ESPN Bracketology, Washington dropped to a No. 9 seed in the West playing Syracuse in the first round, while Arizona State is listed as one of the last four teams in the field as No. 12 facing Utah State in the First Four.

It’s not all gloom and doom though. The Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament is only two weeks away and there's still an opportunity for teams vying for a NCAA bid to make a run at locking down their spot in the big dance.

Sorry not sorry, Duke: Gonzaga is the top dog once again

USA Today Images

Sorry not sorry, Duke: Gonzaga is the top dog once again

For the second time this season, the Gonzaga men’s basketball team is back on top of the Associated Press college basketball standings.

The Bulldogs (27-2) snagged the top spot from Duke in the latest basketball poll released Monday. Gonzaga received 44 of 64 first-place votes and now have a chance to hold onto the top spot heading into the NCAA tournament.

The Blue Devils fell two spots in the standings after suffering a 88-72 loss to the UNC Tar Heels on Wednesday. Duke also lost Zion Williamson, the projected No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, to a grade 1 knee sprain in the upset. He is day-to-day, according to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Despite losing Williamson to injury, Duke (24-3) bounced back against Syracuse over the weekend. They are now third behind Virginia (24-2), who received 15 first-place votes.

The Bulldogs spent two weeks atop the AP Top 25 in week 5 after beating the Blue Devils in the Maui Invitational in November. Despite losses to Tennessee and North Carolina, the Zags are riding a 18-game win streak and sit in first place in the West Coast Conference.

Gonzaga has been dismantling its opponents as of late. In the last four homes games (BYU, Pepperdine, San Francisco, San Diego), the Bulldogs have won by an average of 35 points. And that's all without French big Killan Tillie, who suffered a partially torn ligament in his right foot against San Francisco, and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

The Zags monster frontcourt of Rui Hachimura and Brandon Clarke, and the standout play of redshirt senior, Josh Perkins, who was named WCC Player of the Week for the second time this season, make the Bulldogs a force to be reckoned with.

Gonzaga is once again considered Final Four contenders. Can they make it back to the big game for the second time in three years?

Hey btw, there's a new No. 1 in college basketball

Hey btw, there's a new No. 1 in college basketball

After outlasting then No. 1 Duke in the Maui Invitational title game and dismantling North Dakota State on Monday, the Zags are No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Portland Trail Blazers insider and Gonzaga alum Jamie Hudson sounded off on the Zags early-season success, including their recent win over the Blue Devils.

"If you would’ve told me 10 years ago that the Zags would beat Duke (ranked Number 1 at the time) outside of the NCAA tournament, when the Blue Devils had a potential number one draft pick, I probably wouldn’t have believed you," Hudson said. "The crazy thing for Gonzaga is that they are without one of their best players, forward Killian Tillie. He’s missed every game so far with an ankle injury."

The Zags are 7-0 despite losing the Gonzaga big man for two months. Tillie, who averaged 12.9 points and shot 58 percent last season, had surgery to repair a stress fracture in his ankle this fall. Senior guard Geno Crandall will also miss six weeks after suffering a fractured right hand in Monday’s practice.

The last time Gonzaga sat atop the AP Top 25 was during the 2016-17 season, the year they reached the NCAA National Championship game, where they lost to North Carolina.

Blazers forward Zach Collins, who played a crucial role in the Zags championship run in 2017, says he likes what he's seeing from his former team so far.

“They’re playing really well," Collins said. "All preseason long I’ve been hearing that they could be as good as the team that made it to the Final Four. So hopefully they keep it going.”

The next challenge for Gonzaga is coming up this Saturday as the Zags travel to Creighton for a Best in the West vs. Best in the East showdown. They will next face Washington on Dec. 5, Tennessee on Dec. 9 in Phoenix and North Carolina on Dec. 15, the two teams' first meeting since UNC edged Gonzaga for the NCAA title.

"The UNC-Gonzaga rematch from the 2017 National title game has all of Zag Nation marking their calendars for December 15th when the Bulldogs square off with the Tar Heels," Hudson said.

If Gonzaga can make it through December, mark your calendars for the Final Four. We’ve got a legit contender on our hands.